


To Know a Trevelyan

by xCastielsGirlx



Series: Inquisitor Elley [1]
Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types
Genre: Assassination, Backstory, Child Abuse, F/M, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Abortion, Non-Graphic Rape/Non-Con, Pre-Canon, Suicide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-05
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-19 03:49:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29868696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xCastielsGirlx/pseuds/xCastielsGirlx
Summary: The backstory of Elizabeth (Elley) Trevelyan, and how she came to be at the Conclave.
Relationships: Female Trevelyan & Trevelyan Family (Dragon Age), Female Trevelyan/Original Male Character
Series: Inquisitor Elley [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2077599
Kudos: 1





	To Know a Trevelyan

** 9:12 Dragon **

The birth of Elizabeth Mallory Trevelyan wasn't met with much fanfare. The youngest of four at the time, most higher nobles wondered why the Trevelyans hadn't just stopped after the first-born son. Yet here she was, the newest addition to the family, born on 23 Justinian.

Like her siblings before her, the early years of her life were fraught with neglect and manipulation. It was expected, said the nobles, so that they could learn what to expect in The Game.

** 9:17 Dragon **

By the time she could talk, Elizabeth demanded to be called Elley. Not many listened to her, but her siblings were always there to bolster her resolve. By this point, another child had been added to the line.

It was a hot summer's day, and the Trevelyans were on a trip to the nearby coast. There, Elley was kidnapped.

The ransom note appeared a few days later. Lady Trevelyan scoffed when she saw the price they were asking. She felt they may as well keep the brat, but the family's standing would suffer if she didn't seem to even attempt to rescue her daughter. Regretfully, Lady Trevelyan parted with the coin to ensure her daughter's safe return. There was no urgency, however. Perhaps a little scandal would elevate their status...

Elley, meanwhile, was having a lot of fun with her new friends. She understood the gravity of the situation, given the hushed whispers and panicked looks, but they hadn't laid a hand on her and kept her fed and warm. On the long journey to the kidnapper's stronghold, Elley let slip that she liked the food and that it was nice to be fed on a regular schedule. The drivers of the carriage whipped their heads around so fast they got whiplash. It was then that they took in the sight of the girl. Emaciated and bruised, she looked tiny in the back.

By the time they had reached the stronghold, both kidnappers had grown fond of the girl and vowed to protect her from further harm.

** 9:20 Dragon **

Over three years, Elley was raised and trained by her kidnappers. They taught her how to handle a knife, how to use her age and height to her advantage, and how to thrive in their community.

It was horrifying to then discover them slaughtered one day as she came back from collecting firewood.

At the head of the party was a man in pure white armour. Elley begged and screamed for her fallen friends... her fallen family. The screaming was cut short however when a metallic hand smacked across her face. Elley's bottom lip swelled and her mouth filled with blood. She coughed onto the grass and was hauled up by the scruff of her shirt. Kicking and screaming, she was dragged onto a nearby wagon and bound in rope.

The ride home was horrifying for the small girl. She was fed only the barest scraps and given the smallest amount of water. By the time they reached the outer city walls, she was weak and dehydrated. Elley was untied and placed in front of the man as he rode in. Gasps were drawn from the crowds. They huddled together at the image of the young noble, weak, bruised, and struggling.

Lady Trevelyan got her wish. They were the talk of the city for months.

For those few months after, Elley was paraded around the city in fancy dresses and smothered in sickly perfume.

“Look how much better my baby is! We were devastated when we realised she was missing! Three years of her life lost to savages!”

At night, Elley's siblings would sneak into her room and bombard her with questions.

“What was it like?” Alexander asked, eyes wide with fear. Elley didn't hold back.

“It was fantastic! They taught me knives and fed me three times a day! I even had playtime with friends!” she would enthuse in hushed whispers. Luca, the eldest son, looked on with feigned disapproval. He was set to become the next Lord of the House, and would likely be flayed if he was caught listening in. Everyone knew, however, that he was just as desperate to escape the gilded cage.

Out of all her siblings, Elley enjoyed telling Amelia about the outside world most. Amelia was the eldest of the Trevelyan children and had been the subject of Lady Trevelyan's abuse the longest. Amelia would listen with glowing eyes as Elley talked about seeing the stars, gossiping with friends, and even having adults that you could  _ trust _ . 

“One day El, we'll get out of here. I'll marry a dashing Lord, and take you all in with me,” Amelia whispered. Elley grinned. She couldn't wait for that day to come.

** 9:22 Dragon **

At ten years of age, it was expected for the young women of House Trevelyan to start being presented with suitors. From her tenth birthday, Elley was taught how to dance, how to act at fancy dinners, how to politely accept a dance, how to curtsey, and even how to walk.

It was exhausting.

The youngest of the Trevelyan house, Caitlyn, would watch from the side quietly. Caitlyn had escaped the abuses of their parents as it became more uncommon amongst nobles, however, she always felt a surge of protectiveness around her older siblings. For this reason, at only seven years of age, Caitlyn had sworn to become a Templar. 

Lord and Lady Trevelyan couldn't have been more proud. 

Caitlyn watched quietly from the doorway as Elley was forced to dance and dance until her feet bled. Exhaustion was clear on her face, and Caitlyn felt rage consume her. As she stepped into the room, Elley was given respite, if only for a moment. 

House Trevelyan would not accept any noble over the age of sixteen for the initial courting process. Once the child had reached the age of fourteen, the age restriction was lifted. 

During Elley's first ball, she was reminded of the dances from her kidnappers. The stuffy ballroom was miles away from what they had been. The Kidnappers had danced with a free spirit. There were no steps, just the beating of drums and the wild spirit within. 

Here, they were forced into a regimen. Calculated steps, a careful mask, and royal silks. She hated it.

A shy boy of only twelve approached her first. He had reddish hair and freckles. He bowed deeply but was slightly clumsy on his return. It endeared Elley. He asked for a dance, and Elley accepted just as she had rehearsed a thousand times before.

The dance was short-lived, and Elley smiled at the end. He hadn't been the perfect partner by far, but he was nice and talked about fun things like carnivals and sweets.

Elley's second dance was with a sixteen-year-old boy. It was obvious he was only doing it to appease their parents, and Elley felt the same. The dance was stiff, and there was no fluidity. Elley knew she'd be getting screamed at for her performance later. 

The evening went on with more and more dances, but Elley didn't feel much of a connection with any of them. She did, however, take a second dance from her first partner. 

Lord and Lady Trevelyan sighed in relief- perhaps there was hope for her after all.

** 9:23 Dragon **

Amelia Trevelyan lay dead upon a cold stone slab. The angry rope mark around her neck was garish against the pale of her skin. The same word from the healer echoed in her head.

' _ Suicide _ '.

The city was in shock and mourning for the eldest of House Trevelyan. They had no idea why the beautiful woman would take her life. She had been engaged to a wealthy lord, about to have her wedding in less than a fortnight.

Her siblings knew.

So did their parents.

An icy pallor descended upon the manor. Servants were skittish, not lingering for long in any room. The sound of beatings would resonate from within the children's rooms. For the next few months, the manor became a dark, foreboding place.

That's when Alexander's magic manifested.

A greater shame had been heaped upon House Trevelyan, and Alexander was sent straight to the circle. There was no time for goodbyes, no time to pack essentials. One day Alexander was there, and the next, he was gone. It was as if he'd just vanished.

By the next week, Caitlyn had joined the service of the Templars. Luca was busy being shaped into the next Lord of the House.

Elley had never felt more alone.

On Satinalia, when her parents had drunken themselves into a stupor, Elley made her escape.

She had no idea where to go, or even what she would do. In her haste, she snuck onto the first carriage she saw and stowed away. 

Elley continued to do this for the next few nights. Hopping onto carriages, asking for rides and camping out in barns with livestock. It was how she surprisingly managed to find herself in Starkhaven. Her accent and skin-tone were more than enough to mark her as an outsider, and her age didn't endear her to the locals. To them, they saw her as another street urchin. A run-away with no purpose.

Elley used that to her advantage. She would pick-pocket strangers, offer tours of the under-city, and pilfer from local stores. The loneliness would still eat away at her during the night, but she was content knowing that she was free.

** 9:25 Dragon **

The pickings in Starkhaven had grown slim after the first six months of being there. It was by complete luck that Elley had found a group of urchins to travel with. With them, she travelled all over the Free Marches, occasionally even going over the borders to Orlais, and the Waking Sea to Ferelden. 

The group had grown slimmer and slimmer as the months went by. Most were imprisoned for petty crime, others had dropped from exhaustion or hunger. Elley soldiered on until she met a tribe of Avvar in the Frostbacks. They took pity on the small freezing child and allowed her to stay until the winter of 9:24 had passed. By early 9:25, Elley had recuperated and ventured back towards Orlais. She had enjoyed the weather there, and there was always a constant turning of strangers amongst the market to hustle from.

It was there that Elley was caught. She had been performing on the streets and attempted to steal a nobleman's pocket watch. Her sleight of hand was no match for his enchanted chain, however, and the guards instantly descended upon her. Elley was fully prepared to spend a few months of hard labour in the Anderfels.

She wasn't prepared for her parents to pay her bail. 

Lord and Lady Trevelyan were furious. Elley had disgraced them with her disappearance, and for that, she needed to pay. A hefty bribe was given to the guards. It seemed the Trevelyans had started the rumour of an illness to explain their missing daughter, all the while having spies track her movements so that they could catch her in a lull.

Elley was returned to the manor, but not to her quarters. She was thrown into a cell where the only light came from a tiny window, and a slat under her door for what she presumed to be a plate of food. 

She spent a year in solitary confinement before being released. 

By then the story of her “illness” had spread, and people regarded her with suspicion. They'd been told it wasn't contagious, but they wanted to make sure.

** 9:27 Dragon **

After her year in solitary, the courting process started again. By now, Elley had become despondent, only following the steps. It didn't help that now she had come of age, and men of all ages were sent before her to dance. 

Bachelors with breath stinking of whiskey.

Wandering hands down her back.

Inexperienced men with erections she could feel through layers of clothing.

The whole process disgusted her, and more than one handsy suitor would be found a couple of weeks later dead. This one choked on his soup, that one had an unfortunate hunting accident, and he ended up at the tip of a blade from a jilted lover. 

Elley could handle the wandering hands, she could even tolerate the excited young men, but at the end of every night, she would be scrubbing herself raw from those touches.

Satinalia seemed to be the time of year for the Trevelyans to become blackout drunk. A masquerade was being held in the holiday's honour, and Elley found herself the only semi-sober person towards the end of the night.

It was then that she met  _ him. _ They had danced earlier in the night, and Elley had found herself charmed by his wit and dark locks. As the party was winding down, she felt a large presence behind her, and a hand grabbed her waist.

“Why don't I take you out for a  _ real _ party,” he slurred in her ear. Elley shuddered and stepped away. His dark eyes bored into hers, and Elley felt her heart thump hard in her chest.

“No thank you,” she declined, turning and walking away. She didn't see the flash of maliciousness cross his face.

Elley made her way back to her quarters. She had closed and locked the door when he pounced.

When it was over, Elley lay on the bed, petrified. He pulled up his pants and re-buckled his belt.

“Thanks for the dance,” he commented before leaving her room.

Things changed after that.

Elley became more subdued, would jump at the slightest of sounds, and refused to go to her quarters to sleep. A few weeks after the attack, Elley started feeling sick, and her period was late.

After consulting a healer, it was final. She was pregnant with her attacker's baby. Had it not been for the morning sickness, Elley would have thrown up anyway. The healer looked sympathetic and called for Lord and Lady Trevelyan. 

As Elley thought, she was lectured by her parents for being sullied.

“How dare you bring this embarrassment upon our house! Haven't you shamed us enough?!” Lady Trevelyan screeched. Lord Trevelyan was silent, watching his daughter with calculating eyes.

“My darling, given who the father is, we can surely use this to our advantage. The two  _ were _ seen dancing together at the masquerade. This is a bargaining chip to make the engagement official.” he explained. Lady Trevelyan huffed and folded her arms across her chest.

“I suppose it's better than some of the other boys that were asking after her,” she scoffed. With that, they turned on their heels, leaving Elley with the healer in the clinic. 

A scream trapped itself in Elley's throat as she stepped down from the table. Her legs gave way, and her arm was caught by the healer. She couldn't even feel the warmth from their hands. 

The engagement was arranged hastily, and every time Elley saw her attacker's face, she felt ill. She also felt pure unbridled anger at what had been done to her. As the weeks passed, Elley felt as though she were trapped in a room with encroaching walls. Her attacker was sharing a bed with her, taking as he pleased; her parents were parading the engagement around as romantic; her siblings were out of reach. Elley felt that if only Luca were there in the manor, things would have been tolerable. She would have had someone to confide in. As it was, she was completely alone.

Luca was given leave from his command at Wintersend. He returned home to a shell of a sister, a stranger at her side, and two smug parents. Luca had been absent for just shy of a year, and he could tell something was wrong. He caught the sight of Elley's slightly curved stomach, the way she flinched at the stranger's movements. It didn't take him long to put two and two together. 

Still feeling guilty from when he allowed their parents to put Elley into solitary, Luca stole away into the night. When he returned the next morning, he was able to thankfully pull Elley away from her fiance. They walked the ground in silence, Elley flinching at every small noise. Luca waited until he knew they were truly and utterly alone before fishing a phial out of his tunic. He pressed it into Elley's hands firmly, but gently.

“It'll get rid of the baby,” he muttered. Elley looked at him with wide eyes. 

“I'll get him drunk in a few days. Then make it look like a suicide.” Luca met her eyes levelly and saw a flicker of hope.

“Take it now,” he urged. With fumbling hands, Elley uncorked the phial and downed the liquid. It was thick and tasted of molasses. Luca took the empty phial back and dropped it into a nearby stable. The glass was trampled by horses hooves.

“Give it twelve hours. Be warned, it  _ will _ hurt.” Luca nodded at her and broke away to go to the manor's library. 

Early the next morning, Elley was bent over in excruciating pain. Her stomach was cramping and she could feel the rush of blood from between her legs. It was ironic, she thought, that the one time her fiance looked truly worried was when there was a prospect of losing the child.

Elley was confined to the clinic for five days, during which time, the pregnancy was officially labelled as terminated. Her family shed tears, and so did she. The only difference was that hers were tears of joy. 

True to his word, Luca got him drunk on the evening of Elley's discharge. And true to her word, she made it look like a suicide.

** 9:29 Dragon **

Elley revelled in her freedom over the past couple of years. As she had “lost” her child and fiance in one week, she was granted a grace period of mourning. During those years she built up her confidence once more. However, there was always the anxiety with her that she could be attacked and held against her will. She felt she would never get over her fear of loud noises due to her time in solitary, and she tried her best to manage. 

She would never get over thunderstorms, however.

It was around her seventeenth birthday that she was expected to court once more. The Trevelyans were holding a Summerday ball at their summer estate in Orlais. Elley had dealt with many panic attacks on the way to the estate, but a comforting hand on her shoulder from Luca had her calming. Since her last engagement, Luca had become a prominent figure in her life. He was a stabilising presence, and she knew that no matter what he would have her side in things. Even if they were both still scared to stand up to their parents, it at least felt less lonely being together. 

Elley stood to the side of the dance floor, watching people get drunker and drunker. She had only had a glass of wine herself when she saw a man approach. He was about her age and had light hair. His piercing blue eyes spotted her, and he made his way over. There was only one thing that stopped Elley from bolting, and that was the fact he was wearing a server's uniform and sporting a tray of mini cakes.

“Cake, m'lady?” he asked, offering her the tray. Elley smiled despite herself and picked up a small chocolate cake. 

“Thank you.” 

The server grinned, and Elley felt her face warm. The server was about to turn away when she called out.

“What's your name?”

The man turned and bowed slightly. 

“Jacob, m'lady. Jacob Lepidus.”

“Would you like to dance?” Elley blurted out. Jacob's eyes widened, and Elley felt her face go crimson. Jacob glanced around him, seeing that almost everyone else was drunk or retiring for the evening. The band had slowed to more simplistic songs, and a bard was tuning her lute, ready to take to the stage.

“Why not,” he shrugged, placing the tray of cakes on a nearby table.

The dancing was awkward, but Elley felt herself enjoying it more than she had in previous years. Their steps were mismatched, and they kept treading on each other's toes. It was these imperfections that had Elley laughing for the first time in months. Eventually, their dancing stilled, and Elley looked at Jacob.

“You have a wonderful laugh,” he mumbled. Elley's eyes glanced at his lips and Jacob's eyes widened, but not for the reason she thought. Jacob chuckled.

“Is that a sword at my back or is your brother just happy to see me?” he joked. Elley gasped and pulled away to see that indeed, Luca had a short sword pressed into the small of Jacob's back.

“Luca!” Elley exclaimed, embarrassed.

“Is he bothering you?” Luca asked, and Elley shook her head, mortified.

“No! We were having a nice dance! I-”

Luca withdrew his blade and spun Jacob on the spot. Jacob held his hands up in mock surrender. There was a crowd gathering now.

“The lady requested a dance, I'll be on my way now,” he stated, edging away. He picked up the tray of miniature cakes, leaving a small chocolate one where Elley had left her wine glass. When Elley returned, there was a slip of parchment with a time, place, and date on it. Elley smiled to herself.

The two began courting almost immediately. Elley was still shy and anxious, but Jacob made up for it with his gentleness and charisma. The two truly were opposites that complimented one another. It was on Summerday a year after they'd met, that Jacob asked Lord and Lady Trevelyan for Elley's hand in marriage. The request was met with a resounding 'NO'.

Lord and Lady Trevelyan appeared to be the only two that weren't happy with the couple courting. They had only allowed it to play out as long as it had because it made Elley seem desirable to some extent. News of her failed pregnancy and numerous runaway attempts had somehow bled from the walls, and it was getting harder to find her a husband. Despite this, Lord and Lady Trevelyan refused to let their daughter marry a commoner. That night, the two wept in each other's arms, and Jacob came up with a plan. He would join the military to gain rank and standing. He would participate in the grand tourney. He would do anything to be with the woman he loved. 

As news of the Blight in Ferelden spread, they saw the opportunity. 

** 9:31 Dragon **

Jacob returned to Ostwick a decorated war general for his services in Denerim against the blight. With the blessing of Queen Anora herself, Jacob was knighted, Sir Lepidus. When he approached Lord and Lady Trevelyan this time, they had no choice but to accept the demand for Elley's hand in marriage. To deny the man now would be suspicious. Sir Lepidus had become a household name at this point, and at the very least it would sort out their problem of being able to find a suitor.

The couple decided to have a long engagement. They were both nineteen and wished to experience more of their youth as a couple before married life. It was with incredible regret that Lord and Lady Trevelyan granted her the title of Ambassador to House Trevelyan, with her handler being Sir Lepidus. The move was tactical on their part. It allowed Elley her freedom whilst still being under their control, and any escape attempts would be hampered by the fact she was with her fiance. Lady Trevelyan was certain that Elley had learned her lesson from solitary, but Lord Trevelyan had wanted to make sure there was no possibility of elopement. 

Elley and Jacob saw much more of Thedas on their travels as diplomats than they ever did beforehand. They were able to experience the Rivaini Coasts, the Golden Jewel of Antiva, and the bustling markets of Orlais- this time without the trip to the jail. 

** 9:34 Dragon **

The past few years had been the happiest of Elley's life. She was deeply in love, had a modicum of freedom, and was in a role that she enjoyed. It all came crashing down, however, when they were sent on an envoy to Kirkwall. Elley was nervous, as was Jacob. The reports coming out of Kirkwall at the moment weren't very promising. 

Qunari had settled on the island, and from what Jacob could make out, tensions were rising quite rapidly. Still, it was a small job to discuss trade with Viscount Dumar.

Or so they thought.

When they arrived, the streets were darkened with smoke and blood. Citizens ran screaming, and buildings were boarded up. 

One moment, they were standing at the docks. The next, a large spear had impaled itself through Jacob's chest. 

Elley screamed.

Blood gushed from the wound, and Jacob collapsed to the ground. Elley fell to her knees and crawled over to her lover's body. Tears swam in her eyes as she searched Jacob for any sign of life. She was screaming his name, over and over. Her hands became slick with blood as she tried in vain to stop the flow. A sticky hand found hers, and after one squeeze, it went limp. Elley's breath caught in her throat, and she leant over to vomit on the flagstone. Smoke and ash stung her throat, and snot ran from her nose.

“No, no, no, no, no, no,” she muttered over and over again. She clawed her way back up Jacob's chest and shook him at the shoulders.

“This can't be it. Wake up, honey. Wake up!” she yelled. Over her sobs, she could vaguely hear shouting. She didn't care though. All she cared about had been taken away. Her love was a shell of a body, blood pooling around him. 

“-ome on! Are you deaf, lady?!”

Elley was ripped from her thoughts by a gruff voice. A strong hand grabbed her upper arm, and she started to thrash.

“Fasta vass! Your lover is dead! Grieve someplace safe at least!” the gruff voice belonged to a lithe elf with strange tattoos. He hauled her to the side and cleaved an approaching Qunari in two. Elley stifled another scream and sobbed into her hands, just wishing for the nightmare to end.

** 9:37 Dragon **

Elley mourned for years, and it was widely accepted that she would never become engaged again. Not just because of the loss of her love, but because the men that her parents paraded in front of her either ended up very ill or mysteriously dead not long after. It seemed that she had become a cursed woman to never find love. Elley wrapped herself in the shroud of these rumours. She isolated herself from others, barely saw her remaining siblings, and kept to the confines of the Trevelyan manor. 

Lord and Lady Trevelyan's disdain had even changed to unease at the shell their daughter had become. There were dark whispers in the corridor that the woman had started to sleep with a dagger under her pillow, and that strange and dangerous herbs were being found amongst her laundry.

After having been on edge for so long, Lady Trevelyan decided it was time to take action. She approached her daughter's bedroom and knocked delicately before opening the door. Elley was sat in darkness, a dagger slipping between her hands as she fiddled with it. Lady Trevelyan swallowed nervously, choosing wisely to stand at the door.

“Your father and I need you to go to Kirkwall. I'm sure you've heard of the tragedy that occurred there. You leave tomorrow at dawn. Try not to embarras-” the last of her sentence was cut off by a dagger embedding itself into the door frame inches from her face. Lady Trevelyan paled, finally realising what kind of a woman she'd moulded her daughter into being. She knew that the dagger hadn't missed its mark.

As planned, Elley left for Kirkwall the next day. Paranoid and anxious, she jumped at every noise that emitted from her carriage. In it, she carried supplies to the broken city that had suffered from the rebellion. She arrived at the City of Chains after three weeks of travelling. She was exhausted, but when she reached the gates she became hyper-vigilant. Her breath quickened and her eyes were automatically drawn to the exact place her love had died. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she steeled her resolve, approaching the acting Viscount.

“Supplies for your time of need, as gifts from House Trevelyan,” she stated, curtseying. The acting Viscount barely looked up from his paperwork and lists. A group of templars approached the carriage, and Elley stiffened at the clank of metal.

“I wish to stay and help with the volunteering,” she stated, not once taking her focus from the large men next to her. The acting Viscount looked up at that and nodded.

“Report to Guard-Captain Aveline. She'll put you to work.” Elley nodded in return and turned on her heel, eager to seek out the Guard-Captain. 

Elley was assigned regular labour work, and she relished the distraction from noble life. Out of obligation, she had sent a letter to her parents explaining her actions. She suspected that the only reason she wasn't being kidnapped by a retainer was due to the positive image her presence had for the family.

Over the weeks, Elley kept to herself. She wore hooded jerkins when working, and spoke very little to anyone in the city. It was easy to ignore questions when she was shifting rubble and scraping remains from the flagstone. At night she would retire to her designated cot in a tent at the side of Sundermount and immerse herself in the novels of Varric Tethras. When she could, she would also sneak away and perfect her skills with her daggers. On one rare occasion where she couldn't escape a social visit to the Hanged Man, a very attractive lady gave her some pointers. Elley saw a kindred spirit in her, but she wasn't around for long. It was a shame, she thought, they could have been friends. 

Occasionally, Elley would trek to the Wounded Coast and stare out at the ocean. What would life have been like, she wondered, if she hadn't been found all those years ago after being 'kidnapped'. One night, after she'd been on the coast for some time, she joined in with her fellow volunteer's evening socialising. That night, drunk on terrible ale, she danced; wild, free, and alone. It felt like a weight had been lifted.

** 9:39 Dragon **

As tensions between the mages and templars grew, Elley was recalled to Ostwick. She was reluctant to leave the life behind that she had built in Kirkwall. The city had slowly been healing, and she felt a deep connection to the place she had helped. Nevertheless, she knew that retainers would be sent, and she could at least pretend she was returning of her own free will if she went when called.

When Elley returned, she found a lot of her previous freedoms restricted. Guards were posted at every exit to the Trevelyan estate. She would have tried to escape, but the guards had been permitted to use any means necessary to keep her inside. Elley saw how the guards looked at her, and she wasn't going to risk it. 

Elley felt herself regress as time went on. The only blessing was that with the Templar order becoming fractured, Caitlyn was finally home. She brought the unfortunate news that Alexander had joined the rebels, however. Though the news was a further “embarrassment” on the Trevelyan name, the siblings all agreed that it was for the best that Alexander had joined the rebels. From Caitlyn's reports, Alexander had been skilled at the circle and seemed to be able to manage himself. Caitlyn had every confidence that Alexander would lay low and not invite trouble. 

With Caitlyn home, Elley found her restrictions eased. Lord and Lady Trevelyan were confident in Caitlyn's “ability” to keep Elley on a leash. In reality, Caitlyn would sneak into the chantry and help Elley hone her skill with her daggers. Caitlyn would grin at the end of every sparring session, happy to have time with her sister that she missed out on when they were younger. The two grew closer and soon became inseparable. Luca watched on with relief that Elley was finally being protected. He could then set out his plan.

Lord and Lady Trevelyan passed away overnight, apparently peacefully, and Luca ascended to his duty as Lord of House Trevelyan.

** 9:41 Dragon **

The news of the conclave was met with tentative emotions. Several meetings between mages and templars had been attempted, but with very little in the way of results. This one was different, however, as Elley had been asked to attend. Luca had received a tip that Alexander was going to be attending as a member of the mage rebellion, and it would allow them to ask if he wanted to return home after the death of their parents. Caitlyn protested heavily, stating that she also wanted to attend. After much fighting and headaches, Luca agreed for them both to be there as members of House Trevelyan. 

Caitlyn and Elley travelled to the Temple of Sacred Ashes as quickly as possible. They joined the thronging masses on their way into the temple and were rushed into their seats for the conclave introductions. The start of the meeting was far more bureaucratic than Elley thought it would be, but then she was nudged by Caitlyn and reminded that this was the Chantry, so of course it would be. Elley snorted, and the two of them started scanning the room to spot Alexander. 

It was during the third day of peace talks that Caitlyn finally spotted their brother. A careful cough caught the attention of both Elley and Alexander. His eyes widened, and Caitlyn waved. Bemused, Alexander waved back.

Elley, meanwhile, felt her vision tunnel. She was seeing her brother for the first time in eighteen years. Her breath quickened, and she stood abruptly, fleeing from the room. Elley pulled at the collar of her jerkin and sank to the floor, trying to regain composure. She wasn't sure how long she was sat there for, but it had to be some time as the cold flagstone had settled into her breeches, and the scraping of benches could be heard from the main chamber. She stood, aiming to go back into the chamber when she heard a scuffle from the next room over.

“Someone, please! Help me!” Elley's eyes widened and adrenaline pumped through her veins at the sound of Divine Justinia's voice. She burst through the door, daggers drawn.

“What's going on here?!” she cried, taking in the scene before her. Divine Justinia was suspended in the air, surrounded by Grey Wardens. Elley's blood ran ice cold when she saw the creature that was before her.

“An intruder,” he sounded almost amused and glanced to the daggers in her hands.

“Kill her,” he stated, almost bored. Elley stumbled but clutched her daggers tighter. She needn't have bothered, however, as Divine Justinia took the opportunity to knock an orb out of the creature's hand. On instinct, Elley dived to catch it and was blinded by the brightest light.


End file.
